Eligibility

Prepare yourself for the professional challenges you face every day and boost your career by earning your CFS.

Recognizing that food science and technology professionals have a variety of educational and professional backgrounds, there are several eligibility pathways through which you may qualify for the CFS. Regardless of the pathway, obtaining the CFS certification is as easy as 1-2-3!

Full Time Work Experience
Full-time work experience is 1,750 hours per year and must be in the food science and technology sector. Post-doctoral work may count towards your work experience. Graduate assistantship work counts toward work experience at 50%. Undergraduate internships do not qualify for work experience.

Eligibility PetitionsIf you do not meet the eligibility pathways noted above, but feel your educational background and professional achievements qualify you to sit for the exam, you may petition the International Food Science Certification Commission to review your application. To submit a petition request, please follow these steps:

Complete the CFS Application

Prepare a memorandum that outlines your petition request and rationale for why your petition request should be approved

Email a copy of your résumé or CV and the signed memorandum to ifscc@ift.org no later than 30 days from receiving your decline notification.

Are you eligible?

Use this quick tool to help you assess if you meet the eligibility requirements.